A disc drive has a recording disc rotatable around an axis, a slider supporting a transducing head for transducing data with the disc, and a dual-stage actuation assembly supporting the slider to position the transducing head adjacent a selected radial track of the disc. The dual-stage actuation assembly includes a movable actuator arm, a suspension assembly supported by the actuator arm and including a flexure, a tongue supporting the slider, and a microactuator. The microactuator includes a rotor attached to the tongue and a stator attached to the flexure and operatively connected to the rotor to radially move the rotor with respect to the stator. At least one beam is attached between the slider bond pad and the stator.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A disc drive having a recording disc rotatable about an axis, a slider supporting a transducing head for transducing data with the disc, and a dual-stage actuation assembly supporting the slider to position the transducing head adjacent a selected radial track of the disc, the dual-stage actuation assembly comprising: a movable actuator arm; a suspension assembly supported by the actuator arm, the suspension assembly including a flexure; a slider bond pad supporting the slider; and a microactuator comprising: a rotor attached to the slider bond pad; a stator attached to the flexure and operatively connected to the rotor to radially move the rotor with respect to the stator; and a plurality of beams attached between the slider bond pad and the stator.
2. The disc drive of claim 1 , wherein each beam of the plurality of beams has a length greater than a length of the slider and is folded so that the beam extends along only a portion of the length of the slider.
3. The disc drive of claim 1 , wherein each beam of the plurality of beams has a thickness and a width, the thickness being at least 10 times greater than the width.
4. The disc drive of claim 1 , wherein the slider bond pad has a first thickness and each beam of the plurality of beams has a second thickness greater than the first thickness.
5. The disc drive of claim 4 , wherein the first thickness is about 25-50 microns and the second thickness is about 100-200 microns.
6. The disc drive of claim 5 , wherein each beam of the plurality of beams is formed by a high resolution Deep Trench Reactive Ion Etching (DTRIE) process.
7. The disc drive of claim 1 , wherein the suspension assembly includes a load beam applying pre-load force to the slider bond pad.
8. The disc drive of claim 7 , wherein the load beam includes a dimple for applying pre-load force to the slider bond pad.
9. The disc drive of claim 8 , wherein the slider bond pad includes a raceway receiving the dimple on the load beam.
10. The disc drive of claim 7 further comprising a ball interposed between the load beam and the slider bond pad, the load beam including a curved portion and the slider bond pad including a raceway for receiving the ball.
11. The disc drive of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of beams are composed of silicon.
12. The disc drive of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of beams comprise a crab-leg design further comprising a pair of side pads on opposite sides of the slider.
13. The disc drive of claim 2 , wherein the crab-leg design includes first and second beam arrangements on opposite sides of the slider, each of the first and second beam arrangements comprising a plurality of parallel arm beams and at least one finger beam interspersed between the plurality of parallel arm beams.
14. The disc drive of claim 12 , wherein the flexure includes a central bridge structure spanning over the slider, and further comprising: vertical abutments on the side pads borne upon by the central bridge structure of the flexure; and a load beam applying pre-load force to the central bridge structure.
15. The disc drive of claim 14 , wherein the vertical abutments are connected to the central bridge structure of the flexure.
16. The disc drive of claim 1 , wherein the flexure applies pre-load force to the microactuator at the stator.
17. The disc drive of claim 1 , further comprising cooling fins beneath the rotor.
18. The disc drive of claim 1 , wherein the microactuator includes means for aligning the slider with respect to the stator and the plurality of beams.
19. The disc drive of claim 18 , wherein the means for aligning the slider comprises at least one stop wall for longitudinal alignment and at least one beam spring for offtrack alignment of the slider.
20. The disc drive of claim 1 , wherein the rotor is aligned along a ray extending to a center of rotation of the microactuator.
21. The disc drive of claim 1 , wherein the microactuator includes a deflection limiter for supporting a longitudinal load on the slider.
22. A disc drive having a recording disc rotatable about an axis, a slider supporting a transducing head for transducing data with the disc, and a dual-stage actuation assembly supporting the slider to position the transducing head adjacent a selected radial track of the disc, the dual-stage actuation assembly comprising: a movable actuator arm; a suspension assembly supported by the actuator arm, the suspension assembly including a flexure; a slider bond pad supporting the slider; and a microactuator comprising: a rotor attached to the slider bond pad; a stator attached to the flexure and operatively connected to the rotor to radially move the rotor relative to the stator; and first and second cross beams each connected between the stator and the rotor and joined to form a pivot, the slider bond pad extending from the pivot so that the slider is radially rotatable around the pivot.
23. The disc drive claim 22 , wherein the slider requires less than about 0.5 grams-force (gmf) of pre-load force to maintain an operating elevation from the rotating disc.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
May 1, 1998
May 28, 2002
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